~Chapter 28~
Diana had never in her life seen someone who gave off such a noble aura.
The woman with long, jet-black hair gracefully draped over one shoulder moved with elegance and refinement as she stepped down from the carriage.
“…She’s beautiful.”
“You’re cute too, Lady Diana.” One of her maids said.
Diana had rushed over as soon as she heard that Cedric’s fiancée had arrived, eager to see her for herself.
She leaned on the balcony, looking down, surrounded by maids who were just as curious about the important guest.
In the normally dull and unchanging ducal estate, this was a big event.
“I don’t want to be cute—I want to be cool.”
“Then let’s say you’re both cute and cool.”
“Yes, cute, cool, and pretty.”
Though she was called “Lady Diana,” she wasn’t a noble in the traditional sense. She was the daughter of a commoner knight and a minor noblewoman. But because her mother had been the close friend and nanny of the late Duchess, Diana had grown up like family in the Duke’s house.
After her mother died a few years ago, everyone in the estate treated Diana kindly and with pity.
That’s how she became Cedric’s childhood friend and a beloved young lady in the house.
“That must be Cedric’s fiancée, right?”
“Yes, I heard she’s Lady Eileen Cassiar, the daughter of a count.”
Diana rested her chin on her hand and observed Eileen.
Even the plain dark green dress Eileen wore seemed to shine on her.
She was born noble—her presence was naturally dignified and elegant.
“Tch. Why is she so perfect?”
Sometimes, the northern region was looked down upon by the capital’s nobles, but this was the estate of the Duke who ruled the entire north.
Diana had seen many noble ladies at grand banquets held here.
But she had never seen anyone like Eileen.
“I heard her grandmother was a princess.”
“Wow, then she’s royalty?”
“No, just a branch of the royal family.”
“Still, green eyes and black hair are a symbol of the imperial bloodline. She obviously has the most precious blood in the empire.”
Listening to the maids talk made Diana feel worse.
The more she learned about Eileen —her background, her looks—there wasn’t a single flaw. If anything, she was too perfect.
‘Cedric probably likes her more than me now…’
Since they were little, Diana had spent most of her time with him.
She was the only one he called “friend.”
Now, someone had suddenly appeared to take that away—it felt like their bond was being broken.
“You came all this way, but you’re not going to say hello?”
“I’ll see him tomorrow. He’s coming back then, right?”
The fear of losing her friend completely felt like the sky was falling.
When she’d only heard about his fiancée, it didn’t feel real.
But after Cedric told the staff to prepare the estate and Eileen actually arrived… it became real.
“Lady Diana! Where are you going?”
As soon as Eileen entered the courtyard and was being introduced to the staff, she heard a familiar name and looked up.
She saw someone running away fast into the estate.
The name she had just heard, the flash of bright blonde hair—it was easy to tell that was Diana.
“…You must be tired. I should have been more considerate. Let me show you to your room.”
The head maid misunderstood Eileen’s expression and quickly led her away.
Eileen gave an awkward smile at all the overly formal treatment and followed her quietly.
***
As summer began and Eileen reached the Duke’s estate, the first news she heard was of victory in the war.
After the long journey north, she finally felt at ease.
‘So I was worried for nothing.’
She could clearly imagine Cedric smiling and saying she worried too much.
“I knew the young lord would win, but I’m still relieved he’s safe,” said Mary, unpacking their things.
Eileen nodded quietly in response.
Just then, noise from outside caught her attention. She stood up.
“Mary, leave that. Can you go see what’s going on?”
“No one’s come to tell you anything, and you’re the future lady of this estate!”
Annoyed at the lack of respect, Mary ran out and came back almost immediately, looking flustered.
“The young lord is here! He just passed through the gates!”
“…What?”
Eileen quickly walked back the way she came.
Sure enough, she saw flags bearing the Duke’s symbol approaching.
Cedric led a group of knights toward the estate.
He casually scanned the interior of the estate and soon spotted Eileen standing in a dark hallway.
He tightened his grip on the reins, jumped down from his horse, and walked straight to her.
“I told you I’d contact you.”
“So I came.”
“When I said you weren’t wrong, I didn’t mean you should come here before the war ended.”
“Well, I took it that way. Besides, the war happened far away, didn’t it?”
Even after so long, they talked like always—never backing down.
Eileen took a good look at Cedric, who had grown taller and now had a faint scar on his face.
Most of all, she felt like there was a new darkness in his expression that hadn’t been there before.
“Cedric, you…”
Before she could say more, someone came running up behind and threw themselves into Cedric’s arms.
“Cedric! I missed you!”
“Diana.”
He almost lost balance but managed to catch her and held her in a hug.
Because of their height difference, it looked like Diana was hanging on him.
‘Right… she’s younger than him.’
Though they’d grown up like friends, she was still a year younger—and it showed.
Even while letting go of Diana, Cedric kept his eyes on Eileen and gave a small, awkward smile.
“Cedric! Tell me everything that happened! And what’s this? You said you weren’t hurt! Are you okay?”
The cheerful, chatty girl with bright blonde hair said everything Eileen had been curious about too.
“It’s nothing. It healed quickly. Look, the scar’s barely there.”
“Still…”
“Eileen, this is Diana. Diana, this is my fiancée.”
Realizing they hadn’t met yet, Cedric introduced them.
Diana pouted and gave a quick, uninterested bow.
“Hello.”
“You don’t have to be so formal. Cedric and I are like friends, so you can speak comfortably.”
Eileen didn’t want to show off her status.
But Diana frowned and said stiffly, “I was told to speak politely… And Cedric is my best friend.”
With a small huff, she turned and ran off again.
Eileen couldn’t even respond. She just let out a dry laugh.
“She doesn’t seem to like me.”
“She’s just got a bright personality. She didn’t mean it badly. She’s kind and loves helping people.”
That sounded very subjective.
What Eileen noticed more was that Cedric’s tone had subtly changed. Even his posture felt different—unfamiliar.
“You’ve changed.”
“Guess I don’t seem like a kid anymore?”
He smiled faintly—it reminded her of herself, in a strange way.
There was a coldness about him now, a sharpness that hadn’t been there before.
But before she could dig deeper, Cedric repeated,
“Don’t worry about Diana. I’ll talk to her.”
Still, Eileen had a bad feeling—Diana’s attitude would become a real problem soon.
Looking at how tired Cedric was after the war, she decided not to bring it up today.
